Blow-out preventer



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,962

L. M. cRANs BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed Jan. 18, 1927 2 sheets-sheet l V /1' V /AY/ A r/ ltl lli

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talented 7 1928 TED SATES application nled January 1n, 19N.

ltlly invention is a blow out preventer to be used in oil well drilling when using a rotary type of drill.

.dan object ot inyl invention is the construction ot' a blow out preventer tor use in drilling oil wells, using a rotary drilling rig, 1n which the drilling mechanism is allowed to rotate butwill prevent the blow out ot' gas and oil through the top ol the well.

.l further object ot my invention is the construction ol' a blow out preventer for rotary well drilling which may be connected to the top ot' a well casing and allow rotation as well as longitudinal movement of the drilling mechanism, such blow out preventer being constructed to be readily removable trom the casing to allow withdrawing and insertion olf the drilling tools..

il more specitic object ol my invention is the construction oil a blow outv preventer having a stationary part directly connected to the top et a well casing and with a rotary element arranged to allow the lltelley used in rotary well drilling to have rotary motion as well as a sliding motion through the device.

ln constructing my invention l attach a cup like structure to the top ot' the casing,

this structure preferably having an outlet tor gas and oil at the side, and part ot 1t being tapered, the upper part being cylindrical. .d wedge shaped metal block having a circular opening in the center fits on the tapered part of the cup. Above this is a rubber packing ring and above the packing ring is an angular shaped sleeve having a tlange litting inside the rubber ring and having an internally threaded flange at the top, this sleeve forming a lower ball race for an antiiriction structure. The angular sleeve is pressed into position by a clamping collar, this compressing the rubber and formin a tight seal with the cup and with the angu ar sleeve.

The square Kelley fits through a packing tube, allowing a sliding fit. This tube .is lit-ted inside of a rotary sleeve, such sleeve having a llange with antifriction bearings below and above same, the upper bearing operating against an angular nut which is threaded into the angular collar. Suitable packing is litted inside the rotary sleeve between the Kelley and such sleeve at the top and bottom, forming a suiiiciently tight seal to prevent blow out at the Kelley or through nerial llo. 161,776.

the rotary sleeve. Packing is also inserted between the stationary part ot' the structure and the rotary sleeve, 1to1-ming a gas and oil tight seal.

ll/ly invention will be more readily under stood, trom the t'ollowing description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, showing the installation ot my blow out preventer when in operative position and illustrating the rig tor rotating the ltelley and hence the drilling tools."

lligure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, ot the installation showingl the internal parts ot the blow out preventer removed and drawn through the rotary rig for withdrawing or inserting the drilling tools in the well casing.

liigure 3 is a vertical section through my blow out preventer.

lltet'erring to higs. 1 and 2, a well casing is designated by the numeral 1 having my blow out preventer, which is designated -generally by the numeral 2, mounted on the casing. hin outlet pipe 3, having a suitable valve l, llorms the outlet for the gas and oil. 'lhe drill rod 5 is illustrated in Fig. 1 as extending downwardly in the well, there being a coupling` 6. 'lhe Kelley Z is connected above the coupling, having a sliding movement through the internal parts of the preventer. The Kelley is rotated by the rotary drilling rig, ldesignated generally by the numeral 8, mounted on the derrick floor 9. This rotary rig is ot known construction.

The details of the blow out preventer are substantially as follows, having reference particularly to Fig. 3:

A cup like casing structure 10 has a lower tubular section 11 which, by means of threads 12, is connected to the casing. This structure has a conical section 13 and an upper cylindrical section 14.-. Preferably the outlet pipe 15 for oil and gas is connected to the cylindrical Section 11 and connects to the valve 4, hence the pipe 3.

The stationary parts of the blow out pre- Venter embody a conical shaped metal plugy 16 which fits on the conical section. 13 of the cup casing. This has a lower bore 17 and an upper bore 18 with an annular rib 19 separating the bores. A rubber or equivalent packer or packing ring 20 rests on top of thev plug 16 and above this is an angular sleeve 21, this sleeve having a central portion 22 with a ball race 23 therein, and having a depending v cylindrical section 24l against which the rubber packer fits. The up er llange 25 of the angular sleeve has a sli ing lit in the upper cylindrical portion 14 of the cup casing. An angular collar 26 has a depending `flange 27 with a screw -threaded engagement 28 between the flange and the upper portion of the wall 14. A horizontal flange 29 bears against the upper part ofthe flange 25 and when the collar -is screwed down the rubber packer is compressed, thus forming a tight seal between the cup casing and the sleeve 21.

The rotary structure is substantially as follows:

The Kelley, as above described, is usually square in external cross section and has a central bore through which a slushing lluid mty be pumped. A rotary sleeve 30, having a ange 31 fits inside the angularl sleeve 21 and is held therein by an angular nut 32, such nut having a central, portion .33 with a i ball race 34 therein, and having aidepending flange 35, the flange and the outside of the eentralpart having a screw threaded con nection 36 with the inner surface of the flange 25 of the sleeve 21. Antifriction bearing elements, such as the balls 37, form `a support for theV ilange 31 below and above same, the lower balls running in the race 23 and the upper in the race 34.

` A tube 39 of packing material is fitted between the central portion ofthe rotary sleeve and the Kelley and below this is an expandible and resilient packing ring 41 low such packing. A packing nut 42 has a screw threaded engagement 43 with the interior surface of the lower end of the rotary sleeve. Another resilient packing 44 lits on top of the packing 39, there being a packing ring 45 above v same and a packing nut 46 having a threadthe top of the rotary sleeve. `These edfconnection 47 with the interior surface of packings form a tight seal between the Kelley and the rotary sleeve, preventing any gas or liquid from blowing through. The packing 52 retains the nut 50 in place. Above the ball bearings a packing ring 53 is fitted between the upper part of the rotarysleeve pcking 40, there being a and a shoulder 54 on the angular nut 32. A second tapered surface packing ring 55 is positioned above the ring 53, these rings being compressed by a packing nut 56, having a threaded connection 57 with the internal threads on the upper extension 58 of the angular nut 32. These packings form a gas and liquid tight seal between the stationary parts of the blow out preventer and the rotary sleeve. In order to lubricate the antifriction bearings, an oil duct 59 leads through the angular nut 32 to the upper ball bearing and hence forms an oil film around said bearings and between the rotary sleeve and the stationary elements outside of same.

The manner of use of my blow out preventer is substantially-as follows:

Presuming the structure be assembled, as shown in Flg. 3, and connected tothe well casing, as shown in Fig. 1, in which it is presumed to be driven by the drilling rig 8, this allows the Kelley to have free rotat1on and to move longitudinally in the drilling operation, and should there be a blow out in the well, it will be seen that there is a proper seal at the top so that the oil and gas maybe checked by the valve 4 or exhausted therethrough at a rate which may control the well.

When it is desired to remove the drilling tools, the collar 26 is unscrewed, thus disengaging the internal parts of the blow out preventer from the. cup casing head 10. Then all such parts, with the Kelley and the drill rod, may be elevated through the drilling rig 8, this beingof a type to allow upward passage of these parts. It will thus be seen that I have provided a blow out preventer which may be easily attached to a well casing and ymay be readily removed and disconnected to allow removal of the drilling tools.

Various changes may be made in the principles of m invention without departing from the sp1rit thereof, as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

l claim:

1. A blow out preventer comprising in combination a well casing, a casing head structure connected thereto, a plug, a first packing and a bearing element, in the casing ead structure, a tubular sleeve having a bearing on the bearing structure, a rotatable rod extending through said sleeve, packing between the rod and the sleeve, and packing between the sleeve and the Said plug, the lirst packing being between the plug, the bearing element and the casing structure.

2. A blow out preventer comprising in combination a well casing having a casing head structure with a tapered portion, a tapered plug therein, a rubber packing on the plug, a stationary bearing element a ove the packing, a rotatable sleeve having a flange, said flange having a bearing on the ings between the bearing structure, the flange andthe said nut, a rotatable rod, and a packing between the rod and the rotatable sleeve, the first packing being between the plug, the bearing element and the casing structure.

. 4:.- A blow out preventer'comprising in combination a casing, a cup like casing head structure having a tapered portion, a plug tting therein, a packingring on the plug, an angular bearing sleeve on the packing,

one part of said sleeve fitting inside the packing ring-means connected to the casing head to compress the sleeve and hence the packing, a rotary sleeve havingl a flange, antifrction bearings between t e angular sleeve and the flange, a packing nut threaded in the angular sleeve, -antifriction bearings between the flange and said packing nut, a rotatable rod, a packing between the rod and the rotatable sleeve, and packing between the Sleeve and the plug and thesleeve-and the packing nut.

5. A blow out preventer comprising a cup like casing head adapted for attachment to `a well casin part of the casing head being tapered an 'the upper part cylindrical, a tapered plug vfitting 1n the said tapered portion of the casing head, an angular sleeve litted in the cylindrical portion and having a depending cylindrical section, a packing ring between the casing head and the cylindrical portion of the said sleeve, an angular collar threaded on the c lindrical portion of the casing head and .bearing against the angular sleeve, thereby compressing packing ring, a rotatable sleeve having a flange, an antifriction bearing between the the flange and the angular sleeve, a packing nut threaded in the angular sleeve, an antifriction bearing between said nut and the flange a rotatable rod, a packing between the ro and the rotatable sleeve, a packing between the rotatable sleeve and the lug and between the rotatable sleeve and) the packing nut. i

6. A blow out preventer, as claimed in claim 5, the packing between the rod and rotatable sleeve comprising a packing tube, resilient packing ringsl above and below the packing tube, solid packing rings on the outside of the resilient packing rings, and packing nuts threaded on the inside of the rotatable sleeve.

7. A blow out preventerfas claimed in claim 5, the packing between the plug and the rotatable sleeve comprising packing rings and a packing nut threaded into a bore on the said plug.

8. A blow out preventer, as claimed in claim' 5, the packing between the rotary sleeve and the packing nut comprising an upper extension of the packing nut having the upper bearing therein, packing rin s between said extension and the rotary s eeve,

and a packing nut threaded internally of thel said upper extension.

9. A blow out preventer comprising in combination a casing head structure ada ted to be secured to a well casing, a plug tted therein, a bearing structure, a packing between the bearing structure, the plug and the casing head, a rotatable sleeve having a rotatable bearing on the said bearing structure a rotatablerod, means connecting the ro and the rotatable sleeve, and a packing between the. plug and the sleeve.

l0. A blow out preventer, as claimed in claim 9, a packing nut secured to the said bearing structure, means forming a bearing engagement between the sleeve and the said packing nut, and a packing between the rotary sleeve and the said packing nut.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

` LESTER M. CRANS. 

